Disclaimer: Bioware owns all.
A/N: As always, thanks to my beta, drakontion, and to everyone following along. Have some Haestrom.
Chapter 21
After the initial excitement of their meetings, Reegar directed his squad to take their forward positions, protecting their progress through Haestrom. While neither he nor Shepard expected any resistance, it never hurt to be prepared.
The planet had not changed since her last visit, still reeking of abandonment and neglect. Debris and ruins littered their path, and Shepard was once again reminded of the quarians' failure to suppress their own doom. It was ironic that the very creatures they created to be subservient would drive them from their homes, forcing them to become vagabonds. Interestingly enough, the geth still remained somewhat subservient, maintaining and caring for the creator worlds in preparation for their eventual return.
Shepard paused in her musings and glanced over at her crew. Tali and Hanson chatted amiably, discussing her research and the possible implications. Tali wanted to set up a series of instruments designed to gather spectrum analyses and record minute changes in the sun's radiation. Four other teams had been deployed on Haestrom hours prior, each with the same objectives: secure the area, deploy the instruments, and evade detection. Shepard and her group were the last, and had so far succeeded only in the first objective.
Alenko walked drag with Legion, the geth recording data while Alenko took in the ruined scene. She had been glad he hadn't been here when she recruited Tali, the events reminiscent of their first assignment on Eden Prime. Even the commander had been uncomfortable with the mission, reminded of her failings on that planet. She hated botched missions.
Tali studied her omni-tool and gestured to Reegar, indicating that she wanted to deploy the first set of instruments in a sheltered alcove to the right of their current position. Reegar keyed his radio, ordering his men to redeploy and maintain watch. Shepard and her team followed Tali to the alcove, idly observing as she unloaded the delicate instruments.
"Won't the sun's rays destroy them after a few hours?"
Tali shook her head at Alenko, adjusting the positioning of a compact sensor. She placed four more sensors in the alcove, each connected by a thin webbing of wires. "Not at all, Kaidan. I've modified the sensors to withstand radiation for up to six hours during the day. It should be safe in this alcove and exposed to no more than five hours of direct sunlight."
Hanson stepped forward excitedly, scanning the sensors with his omni-tool. "You modified the geth armor that was in the lab? I wondered how you were going to compensate for the shielding algorithms."
Shepard stepped away, her eyes on the perimeter. The conversation behind her didn't hold much interest, and she disliked that she only understood about half of their techno-speak. Alenko sidled up next to her, his eyes hooded by the morning shadows. Despite the recent tumult of their relationship, Shepard found his presence comforting, and they stood together in silence.
"Computational errors in quarian protocols invalid. Kinetic barrier fluctuations due to incorrect energy frequencies. Hypothesize rapid rotation of frequencies would greatly reduce possibility of sensory overload."
Legion's voice echoed through the small alcove, interrupting Hanson and Tali's debate about confounding sensor readings. They paused in their discussion, and as one, glanced at him curiously. It was Tali who spoke first.
"You suggest that we use resources we don't have to shield a series of modified sensors, already partially exposed to the sun's radiation, in order to get readings to better protect from the sun's radiation?"
Legion's optics flared briefly. "That is correct."
Hanson scanned Legion with his omni-tool, curiosity getting the better of good judgment. "So why did you come along?"
"That's enough, Corporal." Alenko's voice cut through the chatter, echoing Shepard's sentiments. Hanson snapped off his 'tool as Tali stood back up, the sensors secured in place.
Shepard shot Alenko a grateful look, his dark eyes softening almost imperceptibly. "Tali, are we done here?"
She brushed the dirt from her hands and nodded. "Yes, Shepard. Let's get going."
The ground team visited thee more sites, each one littered with the debris of hundreds of years. Alien architecture dotted the landscape, the once straight and simple lines now decayed by time. Hanson gawked, wide-eyed, and absorbing the uniqueness of his surroundings like a sponge. Tali, for the most part, ignored the architecture, having had her fill of it the last time she was groundside. Legion continued to gather data, various readings from the sun's radiation and organic interactions. Shepard decided to intervene when she noticed the synthetic taking readings on her person.
"Is there something you need, Legion?" Her voice was stern with a hint of curiosity.
"Shepard-Commander. Sensors register an increase in body temperature of .04 degrees Fahrenheit. Increase correlates with proximity to Alenko-Commander. Pulmonary and respiratory fluctuations are-"
"Enough, Legion." Shepard cut him off as she turned to him, anger masking the less appealing emotions threatening to overwhelm her senses. "You are not to scan me anymore. Do you understand?"
"Understood." Its head plates fluttered briefly. "Query: are we permitted to compare Shepard-Commander's biological fluctuations with Alenko-Commander's recorded earlier today? Similar correlations-"
"No!" Shepard frowned, the frustration in her blood combining with a growing knot in her stomach. Alenko was not helping matters. He was too busy failing to suppress his laughter behind her. Tali ignored the exchange, pulling Hanson along with her, a look of bewilderment on his face.
"Understood. Program halted."
Shepard heaved an exasperated sigh. "Legion, go help Tali and Hanson set up the last batch of sensors."
"Shepard-Commander."
"Uh, Captain?" Reegar's voice sounded through her radio and Shepard welcomed the distraction.
"Go ahead, Reegar."
"It looks like we're going to have some company. Forward scouts have spotted a geth dropship ahead of us and closing fast." His voice was firm, professional.
Shepard gestured to Alenko, signaling him to ready his weapon. "Reegar, Tali and Hanson are headed in your direction. Cover them. We'll join you shortly."
"Roger that, Shepard."
The commander readied her widow, double checking the scope settings while Alenko waited with pistol in hand. Legion pulled his sniper rifle from its casing, moving toward higher ground and into position. Together, Alenko and Shepard proceeded forward and entered the small clearing just as the dropship paused overhead. Plumes of dust exploded into the air as the armatures dropped groundside, the whining of their gears audible as they uncurled.
Another loud thud hit the ground and sent debris scattering violently and Shepard heard Alenko swear under his breath. A colossus unfurled from its metallic bulk, the pulse of its energy signature echoing throughout the clearing.
Shepard keyed her radio, sliding into cover behind a ruined wall. "Reegar, I count five geth armatures and one colossus approximately fifty meters west of my position."
A burst of static filled her comm. before he answered. "I read you, Shepard. I see them." A series of beeps and pops followed before he spoke again. "Scouts report additional incoming to the south of our position. They count four more armatures and another colossus on the move."
Shepard watched the colossus belch forth a siege pulse, the burst of energy directed off to her right where Tali and Hanson took shelter. She swore and activated her radio. "Legion, focus fire on the colossus and provide covering fire for Tali and Hanson."
"Understood." Another burst of static filtered through her comm. before she heard the sharp crack of its rifle.
The commander poked her head around the corner and eyed the geth formation. The colossus was moving slowly, closing on Tali and Hanson. The five armatures surrounded it, moving faster and spraying the area with anti-personnel fire. Alenko crouched next to her, waiting calmly for her orders.
"Warp the forward armature and take down its shields on my mark. Get their attention and keep them away from our engineers."
"Yes, Commander." He cocked the hammer on his pistol. "Just like old times."
Shepard shot him a warm smile, the adrenaline and familiarity of the moment exciting and heady. She activated her cloak and shouldered her widow, adjusting the settings until the crosshairs aligned perfectly.
"Mark."
The commander watched as the forward armature's shields flared brightly then failed. Shepard squeezed the trigger, relishing the familiar pain as it exploded in her shoulder. She crouched back down and reloaded as Alenko ducked back into cover. The staccato beat of geth gunfire changed, and then surged anew, pounding against their cover as the wall vibrated from the onslaught.
Shepard heard an explosion in the field as one of the armatures went down. "Enemy hostile eliminated." A string of beeps filled her radio as Legion continued to fire on the colossus.
Her vision distorted briefly as Shepard activated her cloak once more. She sighted through her scope and fired on the colossus, its attention now focused in their direction. The thunder of her shot echoed through the clearing and ended with a satisfying bang akin to the ringing of a giant gong. The colossus stumbled, but regained its footing, once again spewing forth an enormous mass of energy.
The commander ducked down into cover again, Alenko crouching low beside her. She scanned the area, noting alternative points of cover. They were going to have to split up to be more effective. Alenko followed her gaze and nodded.
"I'll head to that ruined outcropping over there." He checked his ammo count and slammed in another clip. "Cover me."
Shepard set her widow down and pulled out her cannon, a wry smile on her face. "Since when do you get to give me orders?"
His bark of laughter was cut short by the impact of another siege pulse. The colossus was closing and they needed to move fast. Shepard nodded and they popped out of cover suddenly, spraying the geth with a heavy barrage of firepower. A pulse of light flitted through the clearing as Hanson threw and incineration blast. Another eruption of light blinded Shepard momentarily as Tali's drone exploded amidst the geth formation. Alenko took advantage of the distraction and double-timed it to the outcropping on her right.
Shepard continued to fire, the heavy rounds of her cannon turning the colossus' armor into a pockmarked shell, but still it continued to close. She slammed her back against the wall, returning to cover just as it unleashed another pulse. Holstering her cannon, Shepard reached for her widow. Noting that Alenko was safe in cover, she activated her cloak and dashed toward the ruins of a building a few yards back and to her left.
The roar of another siege pulse, followed immediately by third one, echoed through the clearing, the impact destroying the wall that had been her cover. The force of the blast knocked her to the ground, debris raining down on her cloaked form. Shepard barely heard Alenko cry out above the gunfire, and saw a burst of light detonate not five feet from her.
Shepard scrambled into cover just as her cloak dissipated. Alenko's overload had damaged the armature just as it broke through their lines, it cannon useless for the time being. Alenko and Legion showered it with armor-piercing rounds, Shepard terminating the platform with a shot to the 'head.'
The commander scanned the field of engagement, noting the persistent presence of the colossus and three of the armatures. She frowned and keyed her radio. "Reegar, give me a sit-rep."
The percussive sound of gunfire surged through the comm. and Shepard suppressed a wince as she turned down the volume. "Little busy here, Shepard. We've still got two armatures closing on our position as well as a colossus. Damn thing just won't go down. If this keeps up, we'll have to fall back and join with Tali and Hanson."
"Negative, Reegar. We've still got our own problems over here and there's no way I'm letting those geth sync up. Maintain position."
"Roger that," he rumbled.
Shepard snarled in anger as a string of gunfire was aimed in her direction, the high-pitched zing of a ricochet clattering off the wall. Checking her scanner she noted the positions of the remaining geth.
"Alenko, Legion – concentrate fire on the colossus. Tali and Hanson - dump everything you've got on the armature closing on your position."
Their acknowledgments filtered through the radio accompanied by a burst of static. Shepard activated her cloak, taking aim at the approaching colossus. The light of its main gun crested the rise and Shepard fired, ignoring the kickback of her rifle as her adrenaline surged. Legion fired almost simultaneously, the discharge from his rifle lighting up the colossus. Alenko threw another warp field, distorting its protective armament before pelting it once more with ammo.
Shepard crouched behind the wall, reloading quickly and popping out of cover to take aim. She watched as the colossus turned toward Alenko's position, shuddering as it primed its main gun. The commander took aim and fired, a wave of relief washing over her as the hulking metal beast crumpled to the ground. Legion took another shot, eliminating the possibility of a repair protocol.
Another explosion rocked the field and Shepard moved forward and into cover. From this vantage she was able to see one remaining armature closing fast on Tali and Hanson's position. She gestured to Alenko and Legion, both of whom opened fire immediately. Shepard targeted the armament's main gun and fired, her cool composure masking the surge of adrenaline pumping through her veins. It crumpled, just as the colossus had, twitching violently as Tali shot it once more.
She glanced up at Shepard's position and keyed her radio. "All clear, Shepard."
"Tali, get those sensors up and running so we can get the hell out of here. Legion, stay with Tali and Hanson. Alenko, you're with me." The commander barked the orders as she rushed across the field, Alenko barely struggling to keep up.
"Shepard?" Reegar's voice sounded thin through her earpiece, the crackle of gunfire even louder than before. "We could really use some backup."
"We're on our way. Maintain position until we get there."
Alenko and Shepard scurried through the quarian ruins, hurdling over debris and skirting sunlight and barely concealed pitfalls. She could hear the barrage of firepower even before she arrived, but felt the siege pulse as it impacted the ruin next to them. Alenko dashed forward, pulling Shepard with him into cover as a hail of gunfire whizzed overhead. They crashed to the ground, rolling awkwardly in a tangle of limbs. If not for the presence of walking death, Shepard might have grown upset with the situation.
Alenko held her down, sticking his head out of cover to survey their surroundings. Shepard ignored the feel of his weight on her body, the strength of his arms, doing her best to concentrate on the battle at hand. He shifted slightly to get a better view and the commander shoved away the building desire in her veins. Now was not the time for fuzzy feelings.
He ducked his head down suddenly as their slim bit of cover was showered with gunfire. Alenko's face was so close to her own that she could feel the heat of his breath. He shot her a brief look of surprise, followed by a knowing smile, and Shepard mentally berated herself. She waited until the gunfire died down and pushed him off of her, rolling carefully to the side.
Checking her scanner she moved into a crouch, Alenko shifting beside her. His smile was gone, replaced with his usual battlefield composure. He activated his omni-tool and threw an electronic pulse toward the approaching armature, overloading its weaponry. Nearby marines opened fire, tagging it with whatever they had left. Shepard took aim once more, aligning the crosshairs in her scope and fired. The impact of the shot knocked the armature back two paces, and Shepard quickly reloaded. She sighted again and fired, watching with satisfaction as the marines finished the job.
Shepard chambered another round and readied her widow. She checked her scanner and noted one hostile presence left. She gestured to Alenko who scurried out of cover, moving into a support position. Shepard skittered to her left, maneuvering around a ruined half wall. She activated her cloak and turned the corner, the colossus closer than she had realized.
She aimed for its main gun, sparkling brightly as Alenko threw a warp at it. The commander fired once, quickly returning to cover and hoping to avoid the incoming fire. The strength of the pulse rocked the walls and rattled her teeth. She checked the strength of her shields and switched to her cannon, the colossus too close for the widow.
"Shepard, get out of there." Reegar's rough voice blared through her earpiece. "You're too close!"
The commander swore again, ignoring the violent trembling of the ruined wall and checked her cloak. It was only half charged. Crouching low she fell back, scooting unceremoniously to more protective cover. The marines directed a hail of gunfire at the colossus, their bullets whizzing directly overhead. Shepard crawled on her belly, eager to avoid crossfire, and rolled into cover behind the remains of some form of ancient equipment.
She felt the thud of an impact against the defunct machine, and returned fire, the colossus barely affected by small arms. Alenko let loose with an electronic pulse, overloading the geth's weapons. Another barrage of gunfire assaulted the colossus, and Shepard ignored the warning bells in her head. She quickly reloaded, and then promptly emptied the clip into the nearby synthetic. It shuddered violently, the mass of metallic gears and servos finally falling to the marines' onslaught. The colossus slumped to the ground, a bulky metal mess, the light of its main gun slowly fading. Shepard stepped out of cover and fired one more round in its 'head.'
"Hell of a thing, Shepard." Reegar approached on her right, trudging through the debris. Alenko followed almost casually behind him.
"What's your status, Reegar?"
The quarian slung his rifle over his shoulder and activated his omni-tool. "I've got at least six marines down, three of which won't be getting back up."
Shepard nodded and holstered her cannon. She was unfazed by the news as was Alenko. "Tali, give me a status report."
Her voice sounded tinny and hollow on the comm. "Almost done here, Shepard. Five more minutes should do it."
Shepard nodded again and adjusted radio frequencies. "Joker, do you read?" A garbled message was his response and Shepard tried again.
"Normandy….-epard. We're getting…..-ference. Do…-eed aid?"
"We're ready for pickup, Joker. Send the shuttle at the predetermined coordinates."
Static filled her earpiece followed by a loud pop. "Shu-…is en …-te. E…ten min-…."
"Roger that Normandy. We'll be ready." Shepard reset the settings on her radio once again and glanced back at Reegar. "Where's your ride?"